Sullivan U13s vs Dalriada On Saturday 12 October 2013 Sullivan played against Dalriada Grammar School making this their seventh game of the season.  Sullivan beat the visitors 27-0, despite not playing up to their usual standards. Dalriada kicked the match off and for the first ten minutes or so both teams were very quiet and there was not a lot of action. Occasionally, Sullivan made some good breaks and at points were looking good. The Dalriada defence were on top form during the first half and were able to keep Sullivan from scoring early on in the game. Throughout the entire first half, Sullivan were pressing to score the first try of the game. They were very close at some points to scoring but once they had completed the hard part of the plays, they unfortunately were unable to finish the move up by scoring the try.  Sullivan were committing too many careless mistakes that led to them not scoring. There wasn’t going to be to long left of the first half and Sullivan were desperate to score a try. Thankfully they did and Sol Harper was the first name on the score sheet. Sullivan had a scrum just outside Dalriada’s five-metre line. Sullivan won the scrum and Sol got the ball at the back of the it and with his incredible speed ran around three defenders while also handing each of them off. He stormed through and over the try line to grab the first points of the game. William Hamilton unfortunately missed the kick from a very tough position. Five minutes later the first half ended and Sullivan narrowly led 5-0. With a convincing half time talk from their coach at the back of their heads, Sullivan kicked the second half off. Immediately Sullivan were playing better than they were in the first half. There were in Dalriada’s half and were pushing to score their second try of the game. Dalriada were giving it all they had to stop Sullivan from getting a second try. After about ten minutes through the second half, Sullivan got their second try of the game through Ben Holley. The ruck was formed just inside the five-metre line and Conor McKee gave the ball to Ben Holley who narrowly got through the defence to score. Conor McKee added the extra points with a good kick and Sullivan had increased their lead to 12-0.  Dalriada restarted the game quickly and the kick fell to William Hamilton who made an incredible run dodging and stepping past the Dalriada defence. He made about thirty metres of ground for Sullivan and he got passed at least six defenders. Unfortunately he was unable to make the whole way to the try line but that didn’t matter because Sullivan got their third try through this play. William Hamilton was tackled and Conor McKee passed the ball out towards the backs. The backs gave the ball out to one another and the space in the defence opened up for Jack McFerran who scored easily. This try was unconverted but Sullivan now led 17-0. During the second half, Sullivan made sure that Dalriada wouldn’t score against them and they were able to do a good job of that. Sullivan were on the attack and had been for quite a while. The forwards were charging through the defence and slowly Sullivan were making ground. Eventually after a lot of ground making, Henry Redpath-Woolley  scored Sullivan’s fourth try after he picked the ball from the back of the ruck from close range and rammed through the defenders. This conversion was also missed but it wasn’t an easy kick. Sullivan came close to scoring again not long after that when Finlay Greer was through  to score but unfortunately knocked the ball on just over the try line. There was only about five minutes left and Sullivan had done well to keep Dalriada from scoring at all during the match.  There was to be one more try before the end of the match and this was to be Sullivan’s fifth try. This try came through Oliver Faith. Sullivan had the ball on roughly the half way line and Rory Houston (who had been playing very well for Sullivan for the whole match) received the ball and made a good run up inside the Dalriada 22 metre line. The Sullivan forwards were picking and driving the ball and they had made it to the five-metre line. Oliver Faith picked the ball from the back of the ruck and ran through the Dalriada defence. This try was very similar to some of the previous tries for Sullivan. The conversion was missed and the final whistle blew, leaving the final score at 27-0. It wasn’t as good a performance as some in recent weeks, but Sullivan were nonetheless relieved to have recorded their fifth victory in a row. By Peter Casement

Sullivan U13s Vs BRA On the 5 October 2013, Sullivan U13’s played their second home game of the season against Belfast Royal Academy. It was a great day for the under 13’s as they convincingly beat them 57-0. It took Sullivan quite a bit longer to score in the second half and BRA was still hanging on, hoping that they might be able to grab at least one try in this second half. Sullivan denied those hopes by scoring their sixth try of the game this time through Ben Holley. After a few rucks and a bit of running Ben Holley got the ball no more than five metres out and stormed through and over the try line. Conor McKee added the extras from close range and Sullivan now led 38-0. The seventh try didn’t come long after that when Ben Holley’s second row partner Oliver Faith scored. Similarly to Ben’s try, he received the ball from close range and ran right through the defence. Sullivan was playing a blinder at this point and they had the momentum to score a few more tries before the game was over. Conor McKee made his fourth conversion of the day and they were now winning 45-0. BRA were desperate now to score against Sullivan but Sullivan would do all they could to keep them from scoring. After some brilliant on the line defence from Sullivan, Sullivan was able to attack against the opposition after winning the ball in a ruck. They scored their eighth try of the game when the Sullivan backs ran at great pace then giving the ball out to Conor McKee who ran from the half By Peter Casement

The following Year 14 pupils have been selected to attend the forthcoming IRFU National Talent Camp taking place in Campbell College, Belfast from Thursday 31 October to Saturday 2 November 2013. David McMaster Ross Todd

Sullivan Upper Vs Down High School On the 28 of September, Sullivan U-13’s played their first home game of the season against Down High School. The U-13’s were the only Sullivan team to beat Down High on that Saturday morning and they comfortably beat them 43-0 which is one of the U-13’s biggest wins so far this year. There were many supporters cheering the Sullivan team on throughout the match (this gave the players a lot confidence to do well and to impress their supporters). Down High kicked the match off. The sun was shining right in the eyes of the Down High players and it stayed shining throughout the whole of the match. The first five minutes of the match were tight and both of the teams were playing hard to see who would score the first try of the game. That came when the ball was given out through the hands of the backs on the five-metre line and Shea Storey received the ball on the wing and ran through the gap in the defence for the first try of the game. The conversion was missed but Sullivan led 5-0. Sullivan had settled into the game by now and looked very sharp.  Sullivan were attacking now and the second try came for Sullivan when Ben Holley received a quick penalty on the five metre line and stormed through the Down High Defence. Conor McKee added the extra points from short range and Sullivan had increased their lead to 12-0.  Tim Nart (the Sullivan full back) injured his leg and Jack McFerran was brought on as a sub for him. There was only going to be one more try before the end of the half; this try came from Jack McFerran. Peter Casement was given the ball and got past one of the defenders before passing the ball to Jack who slid over the try line. William Hamilton made the conversion and at half time Sullivan led 19-0. The two sides switched ends and for this half Sullivan would have to deal with the sun in their eyes. Sullivan got the second half kicked off. Straight away, Sullivan was putting a lot of pressure on Down High and they looked like they were already quite tired. Sullivan took advantage of this and Sol Harper scored the next try after he picked the ball up from the back of a scrum (which was on the five-metre line) and breezed right passed the defender. Jack Crishop made the conversion and Sullivan was convincingly winning 26-0. Down High rushed up to take the drop in quickly and they kicked to Peter Casement who scored the fifth try of the game after he dodged passed a few of the defenders and ran in to score. The conversion was missed unfortunately but Sullivan was now leading 31-0. The game was nearly finished but Sullivan weren’t. Shea Storey was able to score his second try of the game after he received the ball from another player and he ran in to score the try. This conversion was missed. There was time for one more try and this time Oliver Faith got his name on the score sheet. He received the ball on the five-metre line from Jack Crishop and the defence had no chance of stopping him. Conor McKee made the last points of the day for Sullivan from close range. The final whistle blew and Sullivan emerged the victors on their first home game of the season. The final score was 43-0 to Sullivan and Peter Casement won the man of the match award. Another brilliant day out for Sullivan U-13’s.

The Northern Ireland Girl’s fencing team secured a bronze medal at the recent Sainsbury’s UK School Games, held at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield, (for the second year running – unprecedented in NI Girl’s foil history). Sullivan Upper was represented by Victoria Duxbury and Rachel Philpott, pictured receiving their medals. Both girls have also been selected to represent Northern Ireland in the upcoming Senior 5 Nations tournament in November, to be held at the University of Edinburgh. This also follows early season success for them at the South of Ireland Open in Cork, with Victoria gaining 2nd place (after a narrow 15-14 loss in extra time) and Rachel coming 3rd.

Christopher Jordan and Mark Burton in Year 12 represented Ulster in the U17 Inter provincials, Christopher came 1st in the 200m and relay and 3rd in the 100m. Mark came 3rd in the Triple Jump. Both pupils went to the UK School Games in Sheffield, Christopher was selected to be the team captain for Northern Ireland. Christopher came 7th in the 200m and 6th in the relay, Mark came 6th in the Triple Jump. Christopher competed in the Schools International U17 competition for Ireland and came 3rd in the relay and 5th in the 200m.Congratulations to Christopher and Mark on their achievements.

Congratulations: Jonathan (Year 14) and Adam Hill (former Sullivan pupil)  pictured at Mary Peters Track having received their medals for 1st and 2nd place in the Ulster Schools Multi events competition held recently. They both qualify from the Irish final in November.

Congratulations to the 1st XI girls’ hockey squad who won their regional section of the Ulster Schools’ Tournament with wins over Glenlola Collegiate, Grosvenor Grammar, Carrickfergus Grammar, and draws with Belfast High School and Strathearn. This meant the girls progressed to the play-off stages on Wednesday 18 September 2013 at Lisnagarvey. The team played Ballymena Academy and finished victorious with a 2-0 win. The girls then faced the very strong Lurgan College and despite  an exciting end to end match, Lurgan emerged 2-0 winners. Congratulations to the 1st XI squad on a very positive start to the new season.

ullivan U-13 vs Banbridge Academy On Saturday 21 September 2013, Sullivan U3 beat Banbridge Academy 55-0 at Banbridge. The ground was very wet but fortunately it wasn’t raining. The ball was dropped several times throughout the match and scrums seemed to have quite a big influence on the match. Sullivan scored not long after kick off when Jack McClosky ran around the defenders with ease and was in under the posts, a very good solo try from Jack. Sullivan’s second try didn’t come long after that, when William Hamilton similarly ran around the Banbridge defenders like Jack had done previously to score his try.  Sullivan was up 10-0 and unfortunately, both of the conversions were missed. Sullivan kept on fighting and scored their third try through Sol Harper who made a powerful run easily stepping past the defenders.  Sullivan was doing well and about ten minutes before half time, Peter Casement scored the fourth try when he spotted a gap in the defence and ran right through it. Conor McKee converted his try and Sullivan were looking very strong. Near the end of the first half, Ben Holley scored the fifth try of the game after a penalty was taken quickly.  The ball was popped up to him and he charged right through the defence, it was a very good try. Jack Crishop converted his try and at half time Sullivan led 29-0. During the course of the match, Sullivan made many substitutions so a few of the players were substituted at least once during the match. Sullivan got the second half kicked off and for quite a while, the two teams battled it out to see who would be the first team to score a try. Sullivan was that team. The backs gave the ball out wide and Jack McClosky received the ball and like his first try, he ran around the defenders and scored his second try of the game. Conor McKee converted his try and Sullivan was leading 36-0. The next five minutes of the match was tight and both teams were playing very well. Sullivan then scored again after a lot of slow play and it was Sol Harper who scored, getting his second try of the game. This try was converted by Jack Crishop making the score 43-0. There was only about ten minutes left of the game but Sullivan weren’t finished yet. Rory O’Brien was the next person on the score sheet when brilliant support and teamwork from himself and Jack McClosky led him to the try line making the score 48-0. There were a few more substitutes after this try and the game only had about five minutes left. Sullivan nearly conceded a try after some very good work from Banbridge led them close to the try line. Then on the last play of the game, Finlay Greer received the ball and scored his first and the final try of the game. William Hamilton made the conversion leaving the final score at 55-0 to Sullivan. Sol Harper won man of the match and it was a great day for Sullivan U13’s. By Peter Casement

1st XI Girls Hockey finished second overall in the first schools competition of the 2013/14 season They won their qualifying section, then defeated Ballymena Academy in the semi final, losing narrowly 2-0 to  Lurgan High School Final in a closely contested final.

Sullivan Upper Medallion A’s vs Bangor Grammar Medallion A’s: 19-15 On Wednesday 17 September 2013 the Sullivan Upper Medallion A and B team travelled to Bangor Grammar School to play Bangor Grammar. We had high hopes of a victory because we had beaten them last year, but we were well aware they would have improved and thought they could beat us. We arrived at the school, got changed into our kit and each team went out to do their warm up. This report focuses on the A team game. After that we got in a huddle and talked to each other to get us psyched up and to focus on the game. We ended with our “squeeze” and we were ready for the game. The game started off well for us. Bangor were applying early pressure but our defence was good and held strong. With the forwards putting in some good work we managed to regain the ball. The ball was then spread out by the backs to the wing and then some good running and continuity managed to get us into their 22 for the first time. We took full advantage of this. Good, quick rucking from the forwards allowed the ball to be spread out quickly to the backs by our scrum-half, Ruari Meharg, to Jonny McCrossan. He then passed to Stephen Brush, our number 8, who ran through a weak Bangor defensive line to score under the posts. Ruari scored the conversion to make it 7-0 to Sullivan. Straight from the Bangor kick off we kept the pressure on, but the Bangor defence was strong. The game became quite open but we were still on top. Close to half time the ball was given to Stephen on the right wing. He was able to evade the Bangor players’ tackles to race down the wing and score under the posts again. Ruari, again, converted the kick. 14-0 to Sullivan at half-time. Mr Armstrong gave us the half-time team talk and then we went out for the second half, fully aware of what was needed to win the game. However Bangor were up for this and started the second half, the same way they started the first. They were piling on the pressure and we gave away some silly penalties. Our defence was excellent at first and we held up a few of what would have been tries. This pressure, though, finally paid off for Bangor. From a ruck on our 5 metre line, their scrum half passed the ball out to their prop who managed to barge over. The conversion was scored- 14-7. Straight from the kick off Bangor were right back at us. They kicked into touch into our 22  after   yet another penalty was  given away at a  ruck. Their forwards kept hammering away at our defence which was weakening. Our ill-discipline was costing us and penalty after penalty was being awarded to Bangor, and they were getting closer and closer to scoring. They finally did score – a penalty was given, yet again, and the Bangor forwards barged through some weak defending by our forwards. The conversion was missed so it was 14-12 to us. From the kick off, after a few phases Bangor managed to get to the edge of our 22 where they were awarded a penalty. Our ill-discipline in the ruck had cost us dearly. Their kicker converted the kick and Bangor were in the lead- 15-14. There was under five minutes left. Jonny kicked it in to Bangor’s half and it nearly went out on the full but thankfully for us it did not. The forwards did some good work to regain possession after the Bangor lineout went astray. Good rucking from the forwards and good running from the backs allowed us to go forward. We were in the Bangor 22 and the ball went wide to the backs. It went all the way to Connor Scollan on the left wing. He used his blistering speed to run past the evading tackles of the Bangor players to score! Jonny missed the conversion so it was 19-15 with one minute left! After they kicked it back in to us, the forwards took the ball on, to run down the clock. They did so successfully. The ball was put into touch. We had won! The whole team was very pleased with the win. We had performed well but we knew we could step it up a gear for our next match. To make the afternoon even better, the B team had also won 27-12. So both teams were delighted with their results and we went back to Sullivan very happy!

Congratulations to Laura McCaw of Year 10 who was selected for the Ulster U18 golf team which triumphed during the summer in the Inter-Provincial Championship.